Fingerprint machine



Oct. 25, 1949. G. w. JACOBY, JR

FINGERPRINT MACHINE INVENTOR. GEORGE macaw; .r/P.

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H M! MW Filed June 2a, 1946 ,27' '0 25 ml], Z n

ill I lll hl lul A ZOPNEYS Patented Oct. 25, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE FINGERPRINT MACHINE George W. J acoby, Jr., Wooster, OhioApplication June 28, 1946, Serial No. 680,249

11 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to machines for inking plates, and, inits preferred embodiment, is directed more particularly to machines forinking glass plates or slabs used in taking finger print impressions. Asis well known, when finger print impressions are taken, means must beprovided for obtaining a thin uniform layer of an appropriate ink on thedigits of the subject. Ordinarily, the ink is spread on a plate of glassor metal or a platen of a similar character by means of a hand roller.While it is possible to spread the ink satisfactorily on a plate by theuse of a hand roller, the operation is tedious and time-consuming andcan be performed satisfactorily only by a skilled operator.

This invention is directed to a machine for performing the ink spreadingoperation rapidly and accurately and is designed to accommodateoperation thereof by an unskilled person.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine for inking plates ofthe type used in making finger prints.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plate inking machinewhich is susceptible of operation with ease and dispatch.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plate inking machine inwhich the inking roller is guided for translation over the plate in aplane parallel thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plate inking machinein which the proper degree of pressure is automatically maintained.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plate inkingmachine in which the axis of the roller may be readily inclined to itsdirection of movement over the plate to secure a more uniformdistribution of ink.

Other objects and advantages more or less ancillary to the foregoing andthe manner in which all the various objects are realized will appear inthe following description, which, considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, sets forth the preferred embodiment of theinvention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a plate inker in accordance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the plate inker;

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a detail of the machine.

In its preferred embodiment, the invention comprises an elongated woodenbase II which is preferably made of several plies of wood glued togetherto prevent warping. The length of the base will of course depend on thesize and number of the plates to be inked, the width, however, being ofthe size customarily used in platens of this character. The base issupported on Wooden uprights I2 screwed or otherwise aflixed thereto,which may be mounted on any convenient supporting structure such as thetrestle l3. Sheet metal strips l4 having the upper edges thereofdisposed slightly above the upper face of the base are mounted on theside and end walls thereof to retain the plates in their operativeposition. Three plates l8, l9 and 20 are placed in end to end relationupon the block within the side and end strips 14. The dimensions of theledge formed about the sides of the base by the strips I4 is designed inrelation to the dimensions of the plate to facilitate the ready entryand removal thereof yet arrest undue sliding movement. The plate l9constitutes the working platen for use in taking impressions while theplates l8 and 20 provide a land for the reception of excess ink thataccumulates at the ends of the reciprocative movement of the roller. Theupper faces of the plates I8, l9 and 2B are disposed in a common planeand each of the plates is preferably formed of glass although they maybe of metal or plastic if desired. The upper surface of the block II isenameled white to facilitate inspection of distribution of the ink whena transparent plate is used. Slots 2| are formed in the upper margin ofthe strips [4 adjacent the ends of the plate l9 to facilitate theremoval thereof after ink- The inking is performed by a soft rubberroller on a shaft 26 which is received in clevises in the ends of aU-shaped bracket 21. The bracket is rigidly mounted at its center on avertical shaft 28 which is rotatably and slidably received in a boss 29integral with a cross member 30 of a reciprocable carriage. Control ofthe pressure between the roller and the plates is effected by acompression spring 3| retained on the shaft 28 between the cross piece30 and an adjusting nut 32 received on a threaded portion of the shaft.Pressure of the roller against the plates may be regulated by actuationof the nut 32 in the customary manner. The carriage comprises, anaddition to the cross piece 30, a pair of stanchions 33 formed integralwith the cross piece attached to a pair of trucks 34 by welding orthrough any other suitable means. Each truck 34 embodies a rectangularframe in which two flanged rollers 35 are journaled on pins 36 extendingthrough the truck frame. The

rollers are flanged for guided translation upon rails 31 which aremounted on each side of the base. The rails are secured to the baseintermediate their ends by countersunk screws 38 and filister head capscrews 39, adjacent the ends thereof, the heads of the cap screwsprotruding beyond the faces of the rails to serve is reciprocated, theroller can be skewed relative to its direction of travel to facilitatethe uniform distribution of ink thereon. The roller is then traversedback and forth between the plates [8 and 20, the roller running overplate l9 and distributing a thin layer of ink thereon. During thisoperation, the roller is first moved back and forth with the rollernormal to the major axis of the plate l9, then the roller is adjusted inangular relation thereto as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 so thatthe film of ink willbe drawn over the plate with greater uniformity andless lineation. It will be noted that the length of the roller 25 isgreater than the width of the plates so that it will extend entirelyacross the plates even though set at an acute angle.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailedcharacter, in order that the invention may be completely 'set forth, itis to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to berestrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts andmodifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from thescope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim:

4. A plate inker comprising an elongate base, a shallow rim extendingabove the base for the retention of plates laid on the base, a platelaid on each end of the base, the plates defining a space therebetweenfor the reception of a plate to be inked, a pair of tracks parallel tothe edges of the base, a carriage traversable on the tracks and having apart overlying the base, a shaft perpendicular to the base rotatablymounted in the part, an inking roller mounted on the shaft with its axisperpendicular to the shaft and adapted to engage the end plates and theplate being inked, and a crank on the shaft by which a plate on each endof the base, the plates de-' the shaft may be rotated and the carriagetraversed. 5. A plate inker comprising an elongate base,

finin a space therebetween for the reception of a plate to be inked, atraversable carriage having a part overlying the base,-a shaftperpendicular to the base rotatably mounted in the part, an inkingroller mounted on the shaft with its axis perpendicular to the shaft andadapted to engage the end plates and'the plate beink inked, and means bywhich the shaft may be rotated and the carriage traversed.

6. A plate inker comprising means for supporting a plate to be inked, areciprocable carriage, means guiding the carriage for reciprocationparallel to the plane of the plate, an inking roller mounted on thecarriage and movable over the plate, and means for varying the anglebetween the axis of the roller and the carriage and '7. A plate inkercomprising an elongate base,

' means defining a space thereon for the reception 1; A plate inkercomprising means for supporting a plate to be inked, a reciprocablecarri'age, means guiding the carriage for reciprocation parallel to theplane of the plate, an inking roller mounted on the carriage, means forresiliently urging the roller into engagement with the plate, and meansfor varying the angle between the axis of the roller and the carriage asthe carriage is reciprocated.

2. A plate inker comprising an elongate base, a plate on each end of thebase, the plates defining a space therebetween for the reception of aplate to be inked, a traversable carriage having a part overlying thebase, a shaft perpendicular to the base rotatably mounted in the part,an inking roller mounted on the shaft with its axis perpendicular to theshaft and adapted to engage the end plates and the plate being inked,and a crank on the shaft by which the shaft may be rotated and thecarriage traversed.

3. A plate inker comprising an elongate base, a shallow rim extendingabove the base for the retention of plates laid on the base, a platelaid on eachend of the base, the plates defining a space therebetweenfor the reception of a plate to be inked, a guided carriage traversableover the base, a shaft perpendicular to the base rotatably mounted inthe carriage, an inking roller mounted on the shaft with its axisperpendicular to. the shaft and adapted to engage the end plates and theplate being inked, and a crank on the shaft by which the shaft mayberotated and the carriage traversed.

of a plate to be inked, a traversable carriage having a part overlyingthe base, a shaft perpendicular to the base rotatably mounted in thepart, an inking roller mounted on the shaft with its axis perpendicularto the shaft and adapted to engage the plate being inked, means forrotating the shaft, and means for traversing the carriage.

8. A plate inker comprising an elongate base, means for retaining aplate to be inked thereon intermediate the ends of the base, atraversable carriage having a part-overlying the base, a shaftperpendicular to the base rotatably mounted in the part, an inkingroller adapted to engage the plate being inked mounted on the shaft withits axis perpendicular to the shaft, means for rotating the shaft, andmeans for traversing the carriage.

9. A plate inker comprising two plates lying in the same plane, meansfor supporting a plate to be inked in the plane of and between thefirstnamed plates, a traversable carriage, means guiding the carriagefor reciprocation parallel to the plane of the plates, an inkin rollermounted on the carriage and adapted to roll over the plates, and meansfor varying the angle'between the axis of the roller and the directionof traverse during traverse of the carriage.

10. A plate inker comprising two plates lying in the same plane, meansfor supporting a plate to be inked in the plane of and between thefirstnamed plates, a carriage traversable over the plates, means guidingthe carriage for reciprocation parallel to the plane of the plates, andan inking roller mounted on the carriage and adapted to roll over theplates.

I 11. A plate inker comprising two plates lying in the same plane, meansfor supporting a, plate to be inked in the plane of and between thefirstnamed plates, a traversable carriage, means guiding the carriagefor reciprocation parallel to the plane of the plates, an inking rollermountedon the carriage and adapted to roll over the plates, and meansfor varying the angle between the axis of the roller and the directionof traverse during traverse of the carriage, the last-named meansincluding a rotatable mounting shaft for the roller mounted in thecarriage perpendicular to the plane of the plates and the axis of theroller, and means for rotating the shaft.

GEORGE W. JACOBY, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS

